Brotherhood.

 

27. Brotherhood is a teaching found in all the great religions of the world: Christianity is known the world over as the religion of brotherly love. Love and brotherhood are two of the most important and fundamental components of Christianity. But it is also found in Judaism and the other religions of God.  JUDAISM: Leviticus: 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am The LORD.” Leviticus: 19:34 “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;” Deuteronomy: 10:19 “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Zechariah: 7:8 “And the word of The LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,” Zechariah: 7:9 “Thus speaketh The LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother” Zechariah: 7:10 “And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.”  CHRISTIANITY: 1 Thessalonians: 3:12 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” 1 Thessalonians: 3:13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” 1 Thessalonians: 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” Matthew: 22:37 “Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” 22:38 “This is the first and great commandment.” 22:39 “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Romans: 12:9 “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” Hebrews: 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.” 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Galatians: 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love, serve one another, for in this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Mark: 12:31 “…..Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…..” John: 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Romans: 13:8 “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” 1 Peter: 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” 1 John: 3:11 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” 1 John: 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” 1 John: 4:21 “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” Romans: 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love;” Hebrews: 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.” 1 Peter: 2:17 “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood.” 1 Peter: 3:8 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”

This love of mankind is especially true in the Bahá’í Faith, love and brotherhood hold two extremely high positions in the ranks of the faith:

BAHA’I FAITH: “Equality and Brotherhood must be established among all members of mankind. This is according to Justice. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved. All men must be treated equally. This is inherent in the very nature of humanity.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 28

 BABI RELIGION: “O ye that are invested with the Bayan! Denounce ye not one another, ere the Day-Star of ancient eternity shineth forth above the horizon of His sublimity. We have created you from one tree and have caused you to be as the leaves and fruit of the same tree, that haply ye may become a source of comfort to one another. Regard ye not others save as ye regard your own selves, that no feeling of aversion may prevail amongst you so as to shut you out from Him Whom God shall make manifest on the Day of Resurrection. It behooveth you all to be one indivisible people; thus should ye return unto Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 127)

 ISLAM: “Develop mutual liking, friendship and love and help one another.”

(Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

 10. “The believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two brothers: And fear Allah (God), that ye may receive Mercy.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  49)

 “Allah’s Apostle said, “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. and do not look for the others’ faults, and do not do spying on one another, and do not practice Najsh, and do not be jealous of one another and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O, Allah’s worshipers! Be brothers!”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 8, Book 73, # 92)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “Mazda (God) is not the God of any particular tribe. The doors of Mazda are not closed to foreigners. So soon as anyone of them becomes fit he is to be included in the fold.” “Love of God is calculated to remove the distinction between one nation and another.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 542 and 544)

 “Maha Ratu Zarathustra enjoins love for the whole of mankind. One who does not love man, does not really love God. It should be realized that one soul resides in all. Thus one should be a friend to everyone. This social service, which is the concrete of the life of the individual, is not to be confined to any particular country but should extend throughout the world to the whole of humanity.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 547 and 548)

 “Brotherhood of man is the idea that appealed to Him (Mazda) most. And that is the only meaning of the Service of the soul of the world.” “For if God is the one Father of all men then all men are equal.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 549 and 550)

 HINDUISM: “Fourfold are our human duties: first to study holy lore, Then to live as good householders, feed the hungry at our door, Then to pass our days in penance, last to fix our thoughts above, But the final goal of virtue, it is Truth and deathless Love!” On all alike.

(Hindu, Mababharata (R. Dutt, abridged tr))

 9. “Where those seven rays are shining, thence my home and family extend. This Trta Aptya knoweth well, and speaketh out for brotherhood.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)

 6. “Is then thy friendship with thy friends most mighty? Thy brotherhood with us, -when may we tell it?” “13. When next we meet together at the central point, even there shall Aditi confirm our brotherhood.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Books 4 and 10)

 BUDDHISM: “The ‘Analysis of the Body,’ and the Contemplation on the Buddha, the Law, the Holy Brotherhood, Morality, etc., will…. produce Neighborhood-Concentration.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 “He has cast away Ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 “I (Brahma/God) am known by uncounted trillions of names. They address me by (these) different names not realizing that they are all names of the one same (Brahma/God/Tathagata). Some recognize me as Tathagata, some as The Self-existent One, some as Gautama the Ascetic, some as Buddha. Then there are others who recognize me as Brahma, as Vishnu, as Ishvara; some see me as Sun, as Moon; what they have imagined, and fail to see that the name they are using is only one of the many names of The Tathagata.” So than, “After they, (these people) attain to self-realization, they will find themselves reacting spontaneously to the impulses of a great and compassionate heart that is endowed with skillful and boundless means and sincerely and they will find themselves wholly devoted to the emancipation of all human beings.” “Not until all discrimination is abandoned is their perfect emancipation.” So than, “Owing to their original vows they will be transported by emotions of love and compassion as they become aware of the part they are to perform in the carrying out of their vows for the emancipation of all beings. Thus they do not enter into Nirvana, but, in truth, they too are already in Nirvana because in their emotions of love and compassion there is no rising of discrimination; henceforth, with them, discrimination no more takes place (only brotherhood with all mankind).” “But (than), after (these people) attain self-realization they will find themselves reacting spontaneously to the impulses of a great and compassionate heart endowed with skillful and boundless means and sincerely and wholly devoted to the emancipation of all beings. (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 “Vows for the emancipation of all beings; to realise supreme enlighten-ment through the perfect self-realisation of Noble Wisdom, ascending the stages and entering Tathagatahood.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “We will pray with Thee the ‘uthras’ prayer and ask of Thee, of The Great (Life, Haiyi, God), a petition for ourselves, for our friends, for our friends’ friends and for those who love the great Family of Life.” “Praise Thee, for amongst them all hatred, Envy and dissensions exist not.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 75 and 76)

 BABI RELIGION: “Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion of God, free from distinction, for verily God desireth that your hearts should become mirrors unto your brethren in the Faith, so that ye find yourselves reflected in them, and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and He is indeed watchful over your actions.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 56)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Let us be united and love one another.” “Equality and Brotherhood must be established among all members of mankind. This is according to Justice. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved.” “Bahá’u’lláh constrains you to realize your brotherhood to one another.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, pp. 29, 61 and 66)

“The second teaching of Bahá’u’lláh concerns the unity of mankind. All are the servants of God and members of one human family. God has created all and all are His children. He rears, nourishes, provides for and is kind to all. Why should we be unjust and unkind? This is the policy of God, the lights of which have shone throughout the world. His sun bestows its effulgence unsparingly upon all, His clouds send down rain without distinction or favor, His breezes refresh the whole earth. It is evident that humankind without exception is sheltered beneath His mercy and protection. Some are imperfect; they must be perfected. The ignorant must be taught, the sick healed, the sleepers awakened. The child must not be oppressed or censured because it is undeveloped; it must be patiently trained. The sick must not be neglected because they are ailing; nay, rather, we must have compassion upon them and bring them healing. Briefly; the old conditions of animosity, bigotry and hatred between the religious systems must be dispelled and the new conditions of love, agreement and spiritual brotherhood be established among them.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 239)